Uppity-Mama

Tote Bag Variations :a tutorial addendum

Here are a few variations/extras you can add to your tote bag.

To make a bigger, sturdier bag today, I am using home dec/upholstery weight fabric for the outside and canvas for the lining.  I cut my fabric into rectangles this time 18" x 15".

Instead of using webbing for the straps,  cut 2  4" x 20" strips of the outer fabric. Fold a strip in half lengthwise and press.  

Open up the strip to reveal a lovely crease down the middle.

Fold in the lengthwise edges of fabric to meet the crease and press.

 

Fold in half again and press.

Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance ( I move my needle over to do this) sew up the open edges of your strap.

 

Repeat instructions or second strap.

 

There you go...follow the rest of the instructions in the original tutorial.  Or maybe you'd like to add an interior pocket:

Cut a square of fabric 1/2 inch bigger than the size you want the pocket to be.  I cut mine 7' square.

I serged the edges for the sake of neatness but this isn't necessary.

 

Fold down the top of your square about 5/8 of an inch, press and stitch.
 

Mark your lower square corners 1/2 inch in from the side and bottom.

 

Lay a ruler across the top points of your lines and trim off the corner.

Fold the corner in and press.

Then fold in each side and press.

Your pocket should look like this from the back:

Place the pocket where you'd like it to be on one piece of your lining fabric.  Pin and sew, the sides and bottom, pivoting at the two bottom corners...but don't sew across the top!   

Now if you want to square off the bottom corners of your bag, which I think gives nice structure to bigger bags, follow these instructions:

After you've sewn all the way around your inside-out bag as per the basic bag instructions but before you turn it right side out, pull apart the fabric at one corner of the bag lining and flatten it as you see below. That is the bottom of the lining you are looking at.

I used the square on my grid  and a ruler to draw a diagonal line across the bottom like this:

  Can you see the line?  Now sew on that line across the bottom of the lining.

Do the same thing for the other lining corner and for the 2 outer bag corners.

 

Cut off the excess fabric past your stitching line on all four corners.

 

 

Now turn your bag right side out and proceed as directed in the basic bag tutorial.

Again, let me know if anything is unclear.

Happy Sewing!

Tote Bag Tutorial

Several people have requested a tutorial based on my QUICKEST TOTE BAG post.  I'm going to give you the basic bag tutorial today.  Ready?  Here it goes:

You will need four squares of fabric,  two for the outside of the bag, and two for the lining.   For this bag I am using quilting weight cottons and they are 12" square. 

You will also need 30 inches  of webbing for the handles and coordinating thread for topstitching your bag.Cut 2 15 inch pieces of webbing.  These will be your straps. 

Take one of the straps and lay it on top of one piece of lining fabric placing the ends equidistantly ( I put mine 3 inches in from the sides) as shown below. Leave about 1/2 inch of strap sticking out the top.  Make sure the strap is not twisted.  

Lay one piece of outer fabric on top, right sides facing, sandwiching the strap in between.  Pin the straps in place and add a few more pins across the top for security.   Do the same thing with the other 2 pieces of fabric and strap.

Sew along the tops with a 1/2 inch seam allowance being careful to keep the straps in place as you sew across them.

Now they should look like this.  

You have 2 halves of your bag, already!  Now you have to sew them together.  Place them together, right sides facing, lining to lining and outer fabric to outer fabric with the straps tucked safely inside. 

Line up and pin your pin the seams first, finger pressing your seam allowances in opposite directions to reduce bulk. 

Pin a bit around all four sides of your rectangle.

 Starting at the bottom of the lining, sew around the bag using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.  

 

Leave a hole in the bottom of the lining fabric. 

If you like you can use pinking shears to trim a bit of excess fabric off the edges, but it's really not necessary as these edges will be inside and the 1/2 in seam allowance doesn't create much bulk. 

Now turn your bag right side out.

Poke out your corners with a point turner, the eraser end of a pencil or your finger.

Fold under the fabric edges at your turning hole and press. 

Now sew along the bottom, making sure to catch those folded edges.  

Now stuff your lining down into the bag and press all around the top.  I find this easier to do if I use a sleeve board.

To keep the lining from slipping up above the bag, you should topstitch it all around the top edge using a 5/8 inch seam allowance.  This is a great place to use a decorative stitch if you have some on your machine.  

Just be aware that some decorative stitches have a hard time going over bumps so watch it on your seams and on the places where you are sewing over the straps.
I'm sure I shouldn't, but if mine gets stuck, I give the fabric just the tiniest tug to get it out of the rut.  See the splotch in the stitching below...yeah, that's where it was stuck. 

 

And you're done!  A handy little tote bag in about 30 minutes.  

Next time I'll show you some fun variations.  Please let me know if anything in this tutorial is unclear-  I'm still learning how best to explain things!

More and more blocks...

It's really fun putting these things together and seeing what other people come up with fabric-wise.

 

  Wendy wanted us to make the focus fabric (heather ross playground) pop and use color schemes which she assigned based on a fabric swatch.  No log cabins either.  I hope I did what she wanted.

Bee Mod Quilt Top

Wow.  It is so much fun to be in bees.  Look at all the creative blocks I got! 

 

And there's more...I asked for one improv/wonky log cabin block, like you see here, and also a circle themed block.  I was going to alternate them in the quilt but when I put them on the design wall I wasn't crazy about it. 

 

 Then I was going to make 2 quilts out of them but now I think I'll use the circles on the back and it will be reversible!  Fun, fun, fun!

The fabrics are from my stash and are from all over the place.  The groovy couch/chair/bird fabrics are from Laurie Wisbrun of Scarlet Fig.   I sashed it with Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in Canary.

Thanks to all my fellow Bee Mod quilters for your great work!

Blocks for Bees and Charity

These blocks are for Leslie in the Bee Mod quilting bee.

  And these are for the LAMQG raffle quilts.  We are making 2 quilts, one with cool colors and one with warm colors.  The common factor in all the blocks will be the polka dot fabric.

Half of the money we raise from these quilts will go into the guild fund and the other half is going toThe Kivu Sewing Workshop.  This is an amazing organization and so worthy of help.  Please check them out and if you feel so inclined, help.

Well, They Don't Seem to Mind

Splotches or no, it's a cozy quilt. 

And I made a bunting to go with it.

 

"Love" Quilt and What Happened?

Here is my finished Love quilt.  You can't really see it in the pictures, (look at the back, upper left) but the off-white fabric (kona snow) has white white splotches on it!!  I washed it and dried it and there they were.  On both the back and front. It's not bleach because the colored fabrics are all fine.  

 

Could it have be that the TIDE (not with bleach) that I threw in before I started the water, took the color out?  I can't believe it and I am so disappointed.  Is this an argument for pre washing fabric, or just putting detergent in water before putting in the quilt?  I feel so stupid but I think that's gotta be it.